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Being the Boss and taking Control

You may have seen the new GiffGaff campaign and add showing that we are ‘the boss’ and to take control in our lives. If you haven’t seen the add then you can see it on YouTube here. You can also read more about the campaign on the GiffGaff blog here. I’ve been contacted asking if I want to take part in the campaign and as soon as I read the email I knew exactly what I would write about, there was no thinking involved. I believe that the opportunity to take part in this campaign is a gift.

I think most of you know that I was made redundant last March and as you can imagine it was pretty terrifying, I had no idea what I was going to do. I had long stopped enjoying my job and was happy to be out of the company, even though it meant I no longer got to see some awesome friends every day. I couldn’t even count on my hands and feet the number of times i’d said that I wanted to find a new job, but i’ll hold my hands up and say I didn’t do much in the way of searching.

My redundancy happened on a normal everyday day, I finished work and went to the supermarket and did the food shopping. At no point did I feel upset about what happened, or feel as though it shouldn’t have been me, I was more annoyed about the fact that my friend had also been made redundant.

For me being made redundant was a gift, it gave me the time I needed to focus my energy on finding a new job. I took the time to revamp my CV, this blog even has a mention on it! I knew that I had plans to start studying again so I started looking at the different courses available and how I would be able to afford the costs, while doing that I found a job vacancy at a local FE college for a temporary member of Admin staff, and so I applied for it. It would have been perfect as it would end just as I was ready to start a full time course.

It didn’t quite work out like that, they invited me for interview when I was on holiday in Inverness, I was away with my family so didn’t have my car to get home in, and the train was over £100! I asked them if it was possible to do a phone interview, or a Skype interview as I was really interested in the job. I got told they would give me a call if they were unsuccessful at finding someone to fill the position. I figured that was that and just carried on enjoying my holiday. When I got back from my holiday I received a phone call from the FE college saying that they had another job position working with the part time prospectus and would I be available to go in and have a chat about it, I of course said yes. I decided to take this as an opportunity to show them how much I had to offer them, now I was told it was an informal chat but I dressed for an interview. I also spent the evening before preparing the best ways to put across how my previous job and my blog could help me, along with making a list of all the different things I had to offer which weren’t just writing based.

I actually ended up being offered the job there and then on a 3 month temporary contract, and at the end of the 3 months they had to formally advertise the job, but I’m very happy to say I am still there now and love my job!

Being redundant could have gone completely the opposite way for me, and I know not everyone is so lucky but I took the opportunity given to me and grabbed it with both hands. I know that being made redundant was what I needed to give me that kick into finding a new job which is why it happened when it did, I also know that the first job I found at the FE college was not for me but was a stepping stone into allowing me to find the right job. A job which fits in with the studying I’m doing, and which has allowed me to learn lots of new things.

There are so many different ways you can be your own boss and grab an opportunity, whether it’s choosing to take a gap year and go travelling, making a change in lifestyle, or doing something which you know will make you happy even if it’s not exactly what you had planned.

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